


Mindblown

by admiralty



Category: The X-Files
Genre: Canon Compliant, Case Fic, Episode: s01e14 Gender Bender, Episode: s06e02 Drive, Episode: s08e021 Existence, Episode: s09e01-02 Nothing Important Happened Today, Episode: s09e06 Trust No 1, Episode: s10e02 Founder's Mutation, F/M, Monster of the Week, Orgasm, Post-Episode: s11e09 Nothing Lasts Forever, Pre-Episode: s11e10 My Struggle IV ×
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-18
Updated: 2018-07-21
Packaged: 2019-06-11 23:12:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 19,732
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15326484
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/admiralty/pseuds/admiralty
Summary: Mulder and Scully travel to New York City to solve a mystery involving mind control and... orgasms.This MOTW takes place somewhere between S11 eps 9 and 10, Nothing Lasts Forever and My Struggle IV. It's Mulder and Scully as a bonafide couple working a case because we never got one and I find that sad. Also, any excuse to write S11 Mulder is a good excuse, because he is my very favorite thing.





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> Reference:   
> S1 ep14 “Gender Bender”  
> S6 ep2 “Drive”  
> S9 ep1, ep2 “Nothing Important Happened Today”  
> S10 ep2 “Founder's Mutation”

 

Mulder pulled the pencils out of his “I Want to Believe” poster and placed them on his desk. The morning light was streaming through the windows at the ceiling of the office. He was still in the basement, as ever, but things were finally looking up.

It had been a week since he and Scully had wrapped up the Barbara Beaumont case. The case had been particularly disturbing, but it was always nice when they were able to bring some form of closure to any X File. It didn’t happen very often.

More importantly, they had found some closure in another way: they were finally back together. Things felt almost perfect for the first time in a long time. She had been living at home again for a few weeks already but he knew now she wasn’t just living in their house anymore; she was living _with_ _him_. At home. They were living _together_ again and it felt wonderful to be back where he always knew they belonged.

He sat down in his chair and surveyed the room. There were so many memories here, both good and bad. He’d be lying if he didn’t admit to wanting to make more, to make as many as he possibly could. But having her back in his life again, the way he wanted her there, was having an effect on him he had trouble explaining or even understanding.

In spite of everything, he finally felt himself moving away from the darkness; that cursed darkness that Scully tried to pull him away from for so long. He couldn’t quite believe he’d ever experience it, but it was happening, as surely as the sun rises and melts away the night.

He thought about Scully, whispering their marriage vows to him in that church, the ones they’d taken ten years ago when things had still been good. She was letting him know in that moment he would be her highest priority, her leap of faith forward. She was putting her trust in him again. When he thought about her being his priority as well, it brought him closer to a feeling he wasn’t terribly familiar with.

Satisfaction.

The question he’d wanted answered for nearly his entire life had always been the same: “ _Are we alone?”_ He’d been so determined to answer that question he’d ironically placed himself in a position where being alone had been his best option. For a long time, it was his only option.

When he met Scully, it was no longer an option.

Now, looking back on twenty five years and beyond, he was really no closer to knowing that answer for certain. Maybe he never would. But the loneliness was gone; it had evaporated along with his youth.

Mulder had always searched for truth, for answers, as long as he could remember. Typically this search involved the paranormal, or aliens, or similar impossible endeavors. But the main question that had dominated his thoughts for the past few years more than any other was how to get her back by his side again. She’d answered that question, finally, and given him the very answer he sought. It had been a marathon worth running, as most seem to be once the finish line has been crossed.

While there were still questions and answers in their lives worth seeking, particularly regarding their elusive son, it was comforting that they’d at least answered this one, loudly and resoundingly. He felt accomplished in the best possible way.

This feeling of satisfaction combined with the years racing by faster and faster as he aged had gotten him thinking. He wasn’t a young man anymore, far from it. He didn’t like admitting it but truth had always been his undoing and this one was staring him plain in the face.

Maybe it was finally time to retire? He’d never truly entertained the idea before, not seriously. His mind had always been so utterly consumed with thoughts of the X Files, in both the past and in the present, it was hard to imagine a life without them. Even when he and Scully had left the FBI, the obsession was always there in his mind, and it had only led them to disaster.

He didn’t anticipate allowing that to happen ever again. But did he want the X Files to take over his future as well? He wasn’t sure, but it was something worth thinking about, especially having Scully back. The knowledge he was getting older had a way of forcing him to reflect on his life, on everything he’d accomplished, and consider what he wanted to make of the time he had left.

He was fully grown, fully realized, and fully committed to a life moving forward with his partner. He knew she was the one bringing him this feeling of satisfaction; she was the only one who ever could. This truth had come to him finally and conclusively. He only regretted not coming to this realization sooner.

But, he told himself, there was no time for regret anymore. There was only moving forward.

Scully strode into the office just then holding a tray with two cups of coffee and a plate with a couple bagels, interrupting his reverie.

“Well, Mulder, they didn’t have any real cream cheese upstairs, in case you were wondering what kind of day it’s going to be for me.”

She set their breakfast on the desk and leaned across the desk to kiss him gently in greeting.

He smiled at the ease and familiarity of her action. Kissing in their office was just one more thing they’d rolled back into their repertoire over the past few days without acknowledgement or preamble. It just… was, again. He loved it.

“Thanks. Sorry about your cream cheese.”

She sighed, sinking down into her chair. “I’ve survived worse, I guess.” She grinned at him and they dug in.

“Guess what, Scully? We have a new case,” he told her as he opened the lid to his coffee, letting out a bit of the heat.

“What have you got?”

“New York City. A spate of deaths that are… peculiar, to put it mildly.”

“Sounds about right so far.”

He picked up the projector remote with his free hand, carefully sipping his coffee with the other. A macabre image of an embracing half-naked couple fills the room, copious amounts of blood covering their bodies.

“Three couples,” he said as he cycled through the crime scene photographs, “three separate rooms, all found dead in the same hotel, presumably on the same night.”

“They were found this way? … _in flagrante?”_

“Funny you should notice that. Yes, all six people found in the apparent throes of passion. But that’s not even the most unusual part.”

“It gets more unusual?”

“It always does, Scully.” He switched a slide, now filling the room with a close-up shot of the bodies. The gore was unreal. It looked like part of their heads had exploded all over the walls of the room.

“Gunshot wounds?” Scully asked.

“Nope. No guns or weapons of any kind present at any of the scenes, and all the hotel room doors and windows were locked and bolted from the inside.”

Scully looked thoughtful. “First of all, can I just observe how impressed I am that this projector still functions properly?”

“Yes. Yes, you can.”

“I’m thinking maybe it could be some kind of mass suicide. Did the victims all know each other?”

Mulder shook his head. “NYPD is following up on that but the preliminary profiles don’t indicate it.”

“Yeah, Mulder, this is definitely weird.”

“Improbable, to say the least. Maybe even more so than getting tickets to see _Hamilton_.”

“But we still can’t rule out suicides. I’d need to see the bodies to be sure. It could be something injected, or ingested.”

“You’re absolutely right, which is why we’re booked on the 10:35 to the Big Apple, Scully.”

She tilted her head and smiled at him. “New York, huh? Again?”

He nodded his head. “Yeah, except maybe this time we can actually enjoy the city.”

She stood up and started rounding the desk towards him. “And you plan to... _enjoy_ the city? In spite of these horrible deaths?”

She reached his chair and sat on his lap, putting her arms around his neck. His hands went to her waist.

“Well… I did tell Skinner to expect only one hotel room on the expense report.”

Scully’s jaw dropped. “Mulder. You did not.”

Mulder put a _what did you expect?_ expression on. “Of course I did.”

“What did he say?”

“He said congratulations and gave us the Bureau credit card to use again.”

“He did _not_.”

“Nah, he didn’t. Well, he did say congratulations but that second part I made up.”

“You got my hopes up there,” she grinned.

“He did make me fill out a form that releases the Bureau from all liability with regards to our relationship.”

“Do I have to do that, too?”

“No, he said one is enough. The best part is, I can sexually harass you as much as I want now.”

“What was stopping you before, Mulder?”

“Touché.”

He leaned in to press his lips against hers again, every kiss bringing him closer and closer to the satisfaction he craved.

“Do I have time to stop at the house?” she asked. “My go-bag has been neglected as of late.”

He lifted her off his lap and she headed toward the door, grabbing her jacket. “Yeah, why don’t you go home and pack our stuff, and pick me up here. I’ll get the case file in order. Just try to be back by nine.”

“Okay. I’ll see you in a bit.”

“Oh, and Scully?”

She spun around. “Yeah?”

“Pack something nice. I do plan to take you out to enjoy the city.”

She smiled at him. “I might let you.”

 


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mulder and Scully arrive in New York and visit the crime scene.
> 
> She removed her latex gloves and leaned against the counter. “Mulder, I can hardly believe I’m telling you this but it appears the chief might be right. These people may have died from their own orgasms.”
> 
> He grinned. “Come again?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I imagine Officer Parker to be very Matt Saracen- like, i.e. cute, adorable and lovely.

 

 

 

Scully and Mulder rolled their suitcases through the lobby of La Guardia, a huge crowd of passengers heading towards them. She instinctively grabbed his elbow to keep the crowd from separating them. They walked together that way past hordes of people who probably never pegged them as FBI partners at all.

“Who’s picking us up, NYPD?” she asked.

“Yes, they’re taking us straight to the third crime scene.”

“Just the third?”

“Well, it’s the same hotel, but the others have been cleaned up. Skinner is getting you clearance to perform the autopsies of the last two victims after we finish up.”

They pushed through the terminal doorway outside, the unmistakable sounds of the city blaring through the loading area. The air was chilly and crisp, it was the tail end of winter and Scully was grateful she packed her heavier coat.

They looked around and found their ride. He was very young, mid-twenties, and upbeat. He was tall, had sandy blond hair, and a killer smile.

“Agents Mulder and Scully?” the officer asked. He had a Southern accent.

Scully released her hold on Mulder’s arm to shake the officer’s hand. “I’m Special Agent Dana Scully, this is Fox Mulder.”

“I’m Officer Parker, nice to meet you both. I’ll be taking you to the crime scene.”

“Great, thanks,” Mulder said, as he took Scully’s suitcase from her and lifted it into the open trunk. His own followed. Scully climbed into the back of the patrol car and Mulder slid in beside her. Officer Parker drove them out of the airport, and after a couple minutes Scully spoke.

“How long have you been on the force, officer?” she asked politely. She was genuinely curious. He was so young looking.

“Oh, just three months in New York, ma’am. I only just moved here from Austin.”

Scully smiled. “How do you like it here?”

“Quite a bit. It’s a nice change. Although I do miss my girlfriend. She’s finishing up medical school back at home so she can’t move out here quite yet. But she only has a year to go.”

“Med school, huh? Well, at least she’ll be distracted,” Scully offered.

Mulder rolled his eyes and leaned back into his seat. She knew he’d much prefer their normal routine of renting their own car so he wouldn’t have to engage in small talk. But Scully liked this guy for some reason. It must be hard for him, she thought, alone in a new place. “I’m sure that’s difficult for you both.”

“It is. She’s actually coming up to visit for the weekend, though.”

“That’s nice,” Scully said. “Let me offer you some advice: make the most of your time together.”

She looked at Mulder, and he surreptitiously took her hand and smiled at her.

“After what I saw at that crime scene this morning I’ll take that to heart even more,” Parker replied. “It’s… unreal. I’m pretty new to the city, I realize, but I’ve never seen a thing like it.”

Scully glanced at Mulder, a hundred horrifying crime scenes flashing through her mind. At times, they’d keep her up at night. This kid’s nightmares were only just beginning.

“Anyway, it’ll be great to see her. A nice distraction.”

“I’ll bet,” Scully replied.

“How about you then, ma’am? You married?”

She and Mulder exchanged glances. It was nice to tell a stranger again, and they both acknowledged that with their eyes.

“Actually, _we’re_ married,” Mulder said.

Officer Parker glanced into the rearview and Scully could tell he was surprised. “Oh wow, really? That’s really cool.”

“Yeah, it _is_ pretty cool,” Mulder grinned as he looked at her next to him.

“So… did you two meet at the FBI, then?”

“We did. Twenty five years ago,” Scully said.

“Oh, man. That’s when I was born.” She could only see his eyes in the rearview but could tell he looked immediately embarrassed. “I’m sorry, that was- I didn’t mean anything by that.”

“It’s okay, don’t worry about it,” she assured him. They weren’t laboring under any pretense that they were as young as they once were.

The rest of the ride was uneventful aside from a few sights Officer Parker pointed out along the way. Scully was impressed with his knowledge considering he’d only been in town a couple months.

They pulled up to the crime scene, a hotel near 52nd and Madison. Patrol cars were still parked out front and people bustled in the lobby, checking in and checking out.

“Crime scene is contained to the room, they’ve been holding off for you two before sending the bodies ahead to the morgue for autopsy.” Officer Parker brought the car to a stop in front of the hotel and they all got out.

He led Mulder and Scully into the lobby where they were received by a burly, imposing man. He stuck out his massive hand directly towards Mulder, shaking his, and then turned to Scully and did the same.

“Agents, thanks for coming so quickly. I’m Chief Harrison. We’re a bit at a loss here, to be honest.” He started walking towards the elevator and they followed, Officer Parker a couple paces behind. “It’s not out of the norm to find a dead hooker in a hotel room now and again, but all these people at the same time, and in this… manner… has got us all stumped.”

Scully flinched a bit at his flippant dismissal of the female victim, but pushed ahead. “What manner would that be, chief? I got a look at the reports and crime scene photos of the victims but can’t quite get a handle on what I’m looking at.”

Chief Harrison pressed the elevator button. “I wish I could tell you. You really need to see it for yourself.”

They ascended the elevator and Mulder looked around as the doors opened and they stepped into the hallway.

“Have your officers cleared the entire floor?” he asked.

“Yes, well this wing, at least. People asking questions. Hotel doesn’t really appreciate that.”

“What can you tell us about the other four victims?” Mulder asked.

“The only interesting thing about them is how uninteresting they are. Two were a gay male couple, second a youngish male and female.”

“And the locations of the other deaths?” Scully asked.

They’d arrived at room 904 and the chief lifted the crime scene tape for them to duck under. As he did so, he pointed above them, then below them. “Directly above us, directly below us.”

“Well, that’s quite a coincidence,” Scully muttered as she turned to Mulder. “Any idea yet on the times of death? In relation to each other?”

“From the autopsy reports on the other four, there’s nothing ruling out the possibility they happened around the same time.”

“How were the bodies discovered?” Mulder asked.

“Hotel guests called, heard sounds they thought were gunshots. But there were no guns in the rooms. Locked, bolted from inside. Chains were even on the doors. No way anyone could have left the scene from inside.”

“Why were these two discovered a day later?” Scully asked.

The chief shrugged. “Do not disturb was on the door. No one looking for either of them. Maid had to come in since he went past checkout.”

“That must have been a rude awakening,” Mulder observed.

They entered the room, a few officers milling about. Scully approached the bed, and what she saw was something she hadn’t really prepared for in the flesh. Both victims’ heads indeed appeared to have partially exploded, spraying blood over nearly every available surface.

“Oh my God, Mulder,” she breathed.

She leaned over the bed to inspect the scene. From the orientation of the bodies, the spatter from the woman, who was on her back, had gone directly up to the ceiling. The man, facing the bed, had spatter that projected only downwards.

“Is there a blood spatter analyst here?” Scully asked the chief.

“Yes, Daley over there can help you out.”

A petite woman turned to Scully and raised her hand. As Scully went to confirm her findings, Mulder remained with the bodies.

“Chief, do you have any suspects in custody yet?”

The chief looked confused. “Suspects? You think these could be murders?”

“I can’t rule it out, sir. I’ve seen some strange things over the years.”

The chief scratched the back of his head. “I didn’t think there was much in the way of evidence pointing that direction, Agent Mulder. No weapons, doors locked from the inside. Seems likelier they’re accidents of some kind, or suicides if you ask me.”

“What’s your working theory?” Mulder asked him.

“Well, I don’t have a theory, really. From what I can see, they just... had a really great roll in the hay. Almost as if they blew each other’s minds, if you’ll pardon the expression.”

Mulder tried really hard not to smile and instinctively turned to where Scully would normally be standing but his raised eyebrow was met with her most unfortunate absence. The humor would have to wait until later.

He approached the bed and crouched down, peering at the faces of the deceased. The woman’s eyes and mouth were partially open as well as her companion’s, doing nothing to dispel the notion that they had indeed died at the moment of release. It was shocking and unsettling.

After a couple minutes, Scully wandered back over. “The blood spatter indicates something burst through the front of their heads.”

“Just the front?” Mulder asked. “It was that localized?”

“Seems that way,” she replied. “The rear of the skulls seem intact.”

They both just looked at the victims for a moment. They’d seen hundreds of crime scenes over the years, but this felt different, intrusive. Too personal.

Scully perused the report. “Nothing about drugs or anything being ingested. It’s possible the tox screens haven’t come back yet.”

“What do you think, Scully?”

“I couldn’t begin to speculate. I want to wait until I perform the autopsies to form an opinion.”

He grinned. “Myself, on the other hand…”

“Save it for now, Mulder. I want to have as much information as possible before I’m ready for whatever it is you’ve theorized in the three minutes we’ve been here.” She arched an eyebrow at him and ducked back under the crime scene tape.

Mulder took a last look at the scene.

“I’m not here to judge, Chief, but did you notice the guy is wearing a wedding band?”

The chief leaned down a bit to look. “You’re right. Huh.”

Mulder pointed to the nightstand, where a wrapped condom sat unused.

“What do you think: a married man, more or less likely to practice safe sex with a prostitute?”

The chief shrugged. “Maybe they got caught up in the moment?”

Mulder shook his head. “I don’t know. I don’t like it.”

“You see all kinds here in the city.”

“Yes, but… it’s there. It’s sitting there, like he meant to use it. You don’t just forget something like that.”

“What are you insinuating?”

“I’m not insinuating anything, Chief,” Mulder replied. “Just investigating.”

Mulder ducked underneath the tape and trotted down the hallway to catch up with Scully.

“I want to get those bodies autopsied as soon as possible, Mulder,” she said as he approached without turning around.

“How’d you know I was behind you? That’s freaky, Scully.”

“You smell like an airport.”

He furrowed his brow. “I do?”

“It’s ‘Mulder in an airport’ smell. I know it well.”

“It wasn’t a very long flight. I’m not sure how to take that.”

“Did you see something else in there?” she asked him as she pressed the elevator button.

“Riddle me this, Scully: a married man, in a hotel room with a prostitute, no condom.”

She shrugged. “Not everyone is as responsible as we’d like them to be, Mulder.”

“True, but this guy came prepared. I saw it on the nightstand. What could possibly have prevented him from… suiting up in such a scenario?”

The elevator arrived and they stepped inside.

“What does this have to do with how they died?”

Mulder looked her in the eye. “We haven’t got a whole lot to go on, here. I’m just trying to be thorough.”

She nodded. “You’re right. It could mean something. I’m just not sure what.”

“Well, the Chief seems to think the sex killed them.”

Scully raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure he wasn’t kidding?”

Mulder cocked his head. “Sounds more like a joke I would have made.”

The elevator doors open and they stepped out into the lobby. “Ugh, Mulder, I really want to shower that crime scene off me. The plane…”

“The Mulder airport smell?” he offered.

“No, you can keep that. I like it,” she smiled. “I really doubt our room is ready for check in yet. Do you know where we’re staying, by the way?”

“Yeah,” Mulder fumbled in his coat pocket for his phone. “Skinner sent the address. Don’t you want to do the autopsies first anyway? I’m sure by the time you finish our room will be ready.”

“You’re right. Actually, I’m hungry. Want to go get some lunch? I’m sure it’ll take at least an hour for these bodies to get transferred.”

“You’re hungry? Really? After _that?_ ”

“Yeah. Maybe pizza?”

Mulder shook his head, making a face. “Okay, whatever you say. Then you can head over to do the autopsies, I’ll follow up on these witnesses and meet you back at the station later.”

 

***

 

Mulder pushed the doors to the autopsy bay open and saw a familiar sight. Scully was in plum colored scrubs, hair back in a tiny ponytail, bent over one of the bodies.

“What’s up, Doc?” he said as he approached her, offering her a cup of coffee. She shook her head.

“Tox screen came back negative. No signs of anything other than trace amounts of alcohol in the male victim’s bloodstream, and absolutely nothing in the female. Same goes for the reports on the previous victims. Nothing.”

“Did you find anything unusual?”

“Well, yes, actually. The condition of what’s left of the skull indicates an exit wound of some kind here on the forehead, but no entry. Something inside their brains seems to have exploded near the front of the head. I also found extremely elevated levels of dopamine and oxytocin, which is pretty unusual, especially after death.”

“So… what does that mean?”

“Well, dopamine is a neurotransmitter, during intercourse it basically facilitates an orgasm. Oxytocin plays a role as well, actually making them more intense. So both of these in abundance in all these bodies makes sense, in a strange way, considering the way they were found.”

“Are you saying what I think you’re saying, Scully?” he asked.

She removed her latex gloves and leaned against the counter. “Mulder, I can hardly believe I’m telling you this but it appears the chief might be right. These people may have died from their own orgasms.”

He grinned. “Come again?”

Scully threw her gloves at him.

“I never imagined in my wildest dreams I’d ever get to ask you this question, Scully, but… is it possible to die from an orgasm?”

“It can happen,” she explained. “Typically it’s older men or people with heart conditions. They can find the experience… overwhelming.”

“Well, I’m no spring chicken, Scully. Should you take this personally?”

“Mulder, shut up.”

“If what you’re saying is true, the odds of that happening to the same two people having sex with each other _at the same time_ are incredible, let alone two other couples in the same hotel.”

“I’m not disagreeing with you. There aren’t any indicators of heart conditions in any of the victims, either. But there are virtually no indicators for a cause of death here, other than these exit wounds. And in cases where orgasm led to a heart attack or stroke, there certainly wouldn’t be an internal explosion like this, much less an exit wound of any kind.”

He nodded slowly. “I guess we can take small comfort in the fact that there’s probably not a better way to go.”

Scully sighed, giving in to his banter. “If there’s any comfort to be taken here, then yes, you’re right, Mulder.”

He pulled the case file out and flipped through it.

“Do you ever feel bad joking about the deceased, Mulder?” she asked him after a minute.

“No,” he responded, not looking up. “You have to get your kicks any way you can doing what we do.”

She smiled in understanding. Joking around on a case wasn’t exactly her style but he could hardly help himself. And she had to admit it helped her too, sometimes. Mulder reached the page he was looking for and handed her the report.

“I went over the interview with the maid and talked to the witnesses that reported the strange sounds. They’re here if you want to check them out, but there wasn’t anything terribly helpful other than narrowing down the times of death.”

“What about the victims? Any unusual behavior or activities prior to their deaths?”

“I’m working on that.”

“You know, Mulder, this body is reminding me of an old case. Remember Patrick Crump?”

“How could I forget?”

“It was something external that the inside of the body was responding to. The high-pitched frequency caused his eardrum to rupture violently. Maybe this is kind of like that, how his eardrum reacted to the strange pitch, only these people were reacting to something… else?”

Mulder nodded. “You may be onto something, Scully. But I’m not convinced we aren’t somehow dealing with homicides here.”

“You think someone _caused_ this to occur?”

“Someone. Or something. _”_

“But… how? And why?”

“Well, that’s what we’re here for, right?”

Scully shook her head. “I don’t know, Mulder. I mean… it’s still an X File, without it being a murder. You really think someone did this to them?”

“I’m not ruling it out yet. I’m going to get ahold of the hotel surveillance footage tomorrow and check it for anything suspicious. It just seems likelier than pure coincidence.”

Scully nodded. “I agree with you there. I just think it’s more likely to be some kind of drug, or something they ingested.”

“But you said the tox screen came up negative.”

“I must have missed something. I _must_ have. I’m having them run it again. I’ll come back in the morning.”

He nodded, and smiled. That was his Scully. “I’m going to check up on our victims. Read up on their profiles, find out their activities prior to their deaths. See if we can shed any light on this.”

“I have a few things to finish up here, then I want to see the other bodies, if I can. Meet you back at the hotel later?”

“Sounds good. I’ll see you then.” He grinned and left her to do her thing.

As he walked the halls of the police station he seriously pondered how he ever got anything accomplished before she’d entered his life.

 


	3. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mulder and Scully get some downtime.
> 
> "He felt something stir in his heart, then his brain, then finally in his groin. Like clockwork. He marveled at the predictable science of it, the Scully-mandated science she espoused mere moments ago making its way into his reality. It really turned him on, how smart she was."

 

 

Mulder was exhausted as he threw the room key onto the front table. He looked around and took in his surroundings. This hotel room was really nice, much nicer than most of the places they usually stayed in while in the field. 

He walked over to the front of the room and threw open the blackout curtains. The nighttime Manhattan skyline was there in all its splendor, winking at him. It didn’t matter how many times he’d seen it; it never failed to impress. 

“Mulder? I hope that’s you…?”

Scully’s voice came from the bathroom, and he grinned at the familiarity of the situation. He couldn’t recall the last time it had happened, but in the past it wasn’t uncommon for the two of them to decompress and run down the day’s events while she soaked and pruned in the tub as long as humanly possible.

“Yeah, just me. Can I come in?”

“Sure.”

He pushed the door open and looked around. The bathroom was much bigger than he expected.

“So… I’m confused by this hotel room,” she said as he entered. “It’s much too nice. Are you sure Skinner approved it?”

“Scully, I realize this may be hard to believe, but Skinner was the one who booked this place. He said he doubled our per diem since we only needed one room.”

“Is that… legal?”

Mulder shrugged. “He said it’s a one time thing, and that the taxpayers would thank us in the long run.”

She smiled. “Well, that was sweet of him. I wonder why he’d do that?”

“I think he was happy we got back together.”

“That’s adorable.” She was sitting up, but just low enough for the bubbles to cling to all the parts Mulder would have liked to see, as usual. He wondered how this always seemed to happen, and briefly considered opening up an X File on the phenomenon.

“Yeah, very adorable,” he said as his eyes wandered around the room. “But I wasn’t expecting anything like this, even after what he told me. This is far more than twice the typical allotment.”

“It’s going to be a letdown next time, when we’re stuck in Crap Motel, Nowheresville, Middle America.”

“Yeah. Maybe we can investigate why that part of the country seems to have lost its damn mind lately.”

“Sadly, Mulder, that’s no X File.”

“What about the actual honest-to-God monster that’s taken up residence in the White House? Could that be an X File?”

“I think the FBI would put us up somewhere really nice if we solved that one.”

Mulder laughed a bit, shaking his head. Wanting to focus on other, more pleasant things, his eyes wandered over her half obscured naked body.

“That is an  _ enormous  _ bathtub you’re in, Scully.”

“I know. It has jets, too.” She shifted a bit to press a button to her left. The tub sprang to life and she leaned back again, closing her eyes.

“Well, you don’t have to ask me twice. Or even once.”

She opened her eyes and narrowed them at him. “Mulder…” her voice warned.

But he’d already started undressing and had made his decision. As he sunk down across from her, he noticed the blanket of suds was getting larger from the motion of the jets. He took her feet in his hands and started massaging them under the water.

“This is extremely unprofessional, Mulder. We’re on a case.”

“It probably is, but it’s not against the rules.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Are you absolutely sure about that?”

“It’s a gray area.”

“It always has been, with us.”

“You see this face?” He points to his own. “This is the face of a rebel. Besides, I want to talk about the case. It’s… a  _ working _ bath.”

“You want to talk about the case? Okay, go.”

“Okay. We’ve got six deaths, all in one night, all in the same hotel. No forced entry. Doors locked from the inside. All seemingly killed from the intensity of their own…  _ lovemaking _ ,” he growled as he gave her foot a squeeze for emphasis. “Now, how exactly does that happen?”

“Well, I suppose it’s not out of the realm of possibility we’re dealing with some extreme coincidences, Mulder.”

He eyed her. “Come on, Scully. We’ve done too many of these things for you to buy into that. Something is going on here, there has to be some common thread.”

“Did you follow up on where the victims had been prior to the hotel?”

He started running his fingers up and down her leg, emboldened by the fact that she hadn’t stopped him since he entered the room. “I did, as a matter of fact, that’s where I’ve been this evening.”

“...And?”

“The first couple, the gay couple, came from a nightclub a couple blocks from the hotel. The second couple had just come from a restaurant around the corner. The third was the married guy with the prostitute. So none of them shared any traits in particular that stand out.”

“Other than the mind-blowing sex.”

“Well. Yeah. I also checked the hotel registry to see about the occupants of the surrounding rooms. Most were vacant at the time, from what I can tell. Those that weren’t were alone in their rooms.”

Scully thought for a moment, tapping her fingers on the side of the tub. “I’ve been thinking about something, Mulder. The location of the exit wounds on these victims was only on the front of the forehead. It’s hard to be exactly certain where the explosion originated, but I’m thinking, because of the sexual nature of all this, that maybe the pituitary gland might be involved. It’s the gland that sends our bodies the dopamine and oxytocin that lead to sexual release.”

“I love it when you talk dirty, Scully.”

She flicked bubbles across the tub at him. “I’m serious, pay attention.”

“I’m doing my very best.”

“Some scientists refer to an orgasm as a ‘little death,’ because it’s the closest we can get to being completely isolated from our bodies while living. For those few seconds you essentially abandon your own existence.”

“I’m sorry, but this is really turning me on.”

“What if, for these victims, they somehow achieved  _ actual _ death in that moment? Say, they couldn’t handle the intense stimulation? And it killed them?”

“If it were one victim, maybe I’d believe that. Six? No way.”

He pulled her foot out of the water and held it in front of his face, his hooded eyes peering over her toes.

“You know Scully, I think this may be the sexiest case we’ve ever worked on.”

“I don’t know,” she mused. “That Kindred guy was kind of sexy.”

Groaning, Mulder dropped her foot, reached for her and grabbed her hips, pulling until she was in his lap. Laughing, she threw her arms around him and kissed him, and he pulled her in close. After a moment she leaned away, placing her hands on his chest. He brought his fingers up to her forehead and smoothed her hair out of her face. Something about her damp hair, slightly curling up at the ends brought back a memory from long ago, in Oregon, the first night he put his trust in her.

He felt something stir in his heart, then his brain, then finally in his groin. Like clockwork. He marveled at the predictable science of it, the Scully-mandated science she espoused mere moments ago making its way into his reality. It really turned him on, how smart she was.

She could tell. “Before you get too excited, you should know I’m not having sex with you while we’re working, Mulder.”

His jaw dropped. “Wait, what?”

“Nope. Not on assignment.”

“But... but...” he sputtered.  _ She can’t be serious.  _ “But we’ve got this perfect hotel room! Come on, we did before, on assignment. Don’t tell me you forgot.”

“I didn’t forget,” she smiled. She leaned in and kissed him again, longer this time. She ran her wet hands through his hair as her lips moved over his. “I could never.”

He touched her shoulders with his fingertips, raking them softly down her arms and around to her back. “And you’re saying… you don’t want to do that again? Because as I recall…” he slowly kissed her across her collarbone, “... it was pretty fucking amazing, Scully.”

She couldn’t help but tilt her head up a bit, allowing him access. “It was.”

“...So…?”

She took his head in her hands and made him look at her. “There will be plenty of time for this when we get home, Mulder. I think we should focus on work right now.”

“That’s so…  _ mean _ .”

“I’m not trying to be mean, I swear. To be honest, this case is getting under my skin. The last thing I want to do is have sex.”

“The last thing? Really?” he asked, looking a little hurt.

“Well, maybe not the  _ last _ thing. But doesn’t it make you a little… gun shy?”

Mulder cocked his head and waggled his eyebrows a couple times. “You worried I might… blow you away?”

“A little bit, yeah.” She smiled at him. He knew she was trying to make him feel better by stroking his ego, but he was still disappointed.

“But we never really got to do this before, Scully. Work a case together while being an actual...  _ couple _ . No secrets, no hiding. I thought we could enjoy ourselves a bit, enjoy each other. Back where we belong, you know?”

She tilted her head and looked at him tenderly. “Oh, Mulder. That’s really sweet.”

“Uh huh…?” He looked at her hopefully.

“The answer is no, though. I’m sorry.”

He threw his head back and groaned. “Scully.”

“No sex until the case is over. Within reason.”

He pouted a bit, tucking a strand of wet hair behind her ear. “That’s a little manipulative, don’t you think?”

“Manipulative how? Don’t you want to solve this case?”

Mulder pulled her in again, wrapping his arms around her. “As usual I disagree with your opinion on the matter but I’ll respect it.” Trailing kisses down her neck, he realized he still hadn’t given up on convincing her. “Maybe you could keep talking about orgasms and hormones and stuff and just let me do this. You know, kill two birds with one stone.”

“Mmm… that’s… I wonder.”

Scully suddenly pulled away from him and stood up, affording him an ample view of suds and wet, slippery skin that didn’t help calm him down in any way shape or form. She didn’t seem to care or notice as she stepped out of the tub, wrapping a towel around her.

“Testosterone, dopamine, adrenaline, serotonin, oxytocin…” she muttered to herself as she exited the bathroom. He listened as she sat down at the desk and could hear her waking up her laptop.

For a minute he just listened to her typing away at her computer. It made him smile. After all these years the work still energized her so much. It only made him want her even more.

Defeated, he slumped back into the bath, which was starting to feel lukewarm. Baths weren’t his thing in general, at least not without a naked soapy Scully in them. He reached across and switched off the jets.

“I can’t believe you’re gonna leave me hanging like this.”

He pulled the stopper and stepped out, reaching for a towel. His hair was wet from her hands having run through it. He rubbed it as dry as he could, leaving it a bit high and spiky. He really could use a haircut.

Wrapping the towel around his waist, he headed into the bedroom. Scully was sitting at her laptop in just a towel, illuminated by the New York skyline, typing furiously. He continued to be amazed that every time he saw her it was the best she’d ever looked.

“You onto something, Scully?”

“Maybe. Give me a few minutes.” She stopped typing and looked intently at her screen. He walked up behind her and kissed her bare shoulder.

“Least you could do is put on a robe or something. You’re killing me.”

“If you bring me one, I’ll put it on,” she said distractedly. “I’m reading something.”

“Nah, I changed my mind,’ he said. “If it’s all I’m gonna get, I’ll take it.” He crossed the room and threw his towel into the bathroom, then pulled on a pair of boxers.

“You remember that time I thought you were going to kill me because of the high levels of serotonin in my brain?”

“Um… yeah. That was pretty rough.”

“I’m just spitballing here, Mulder, but I wonder if this is some kind of chemical reaction we’re dealing with. The neurotransmitters in our brains are what cause us to behave certain ways.”

“Stop talking about that stuff while you’re sitting there naked in a towel.”

“Hey, Mulder,” she said huskily, reading from her screen. “So… the hypothalamus activates the limbic system when the genitals are stimulated, sending a signal to the pituitary gland to emit oxytocin…”

“Cut that out! That’s not nice, especially if it’s not leading anywhere.”

She laughed. “It’s just too easy.”

Mulder sat on the bed and scratched his head. “Come to bed, Scully. We have to get up early tomorrow.”

“Okay, fine. I’ll read this later.” She shut down her computer and he was grateful for the reprieve.

  
  
  


***

  
  
  


After Scully finished up her nighttime routine, she slipped into the cool sheets beside him and pulled the comforter up. He put his arms around her waist and pulled her into him, kissing the back of her neck. 

“I can’t believe you don’t want to break in this Heavenly Bed.”

“I never said I didn’t  _ want  _ to, I just don’t think it’s a good idea. This is fine, I’ll let you get to second base if you feel like it.”

“Okay. Teenage me thanks you,” he growled, as he took her up on her offer.

“All grown up me says you’re welcome.”

“Honestly Scully, I love when you get excited about these cases. I think it’s the sexiest thing about you.”

“Well, this case is sexy. It’s so intriguing, Mulder. What must that be like? To simultaneously experience both the greatest sensation a human being can experience and the most terrifying?”

His hands roamed over her body, and she let him. “I’d be lying if I didn’t say you’ve made me feel like I might actually die from my own.”

“Thanks, I guess?”

“No, thank  _ you.” _

“But really, Mulder. The brain is such a mystery, there’s so much we have yet to discover. Maybe some brains just can’t handle certain stimuli, specifically orgasm?”

“That would be an unfortunate ailment to have.”

“Maybe at high enough levels, certain hormones like testosterone or oxytocin can even be fatal to certain people? I’ve never had a reason to even consider that, let alone the opportunity to test for it.”

“Mmm,” he closed his eyes and started kissing her neck again. He didn’t want to talk about the case anymore but he enjoyed listening to her, as usual. “I love when you talk all sciencey, Scully.”

“Well, I’d have a lot more to say if you’d have let me finish reading.”

“Can you just say ‘stimuli’ again?”

“Did I not make myself clear earlier? Stop trying to get laid.”

He sighed. “Well, unrelated to the case, I have a little surprise for you.”

“Just a little one?”

“Ha, ha. No. Something else.”

“Really? What is it?”

He leaned into her ear and whispered, “I scored us some  _ Hamilton  _ tickets.”

Her eyes widened and she turned around in his arms. “You what? But… how? That’s impossible!”

“It’s more than impossible. But your man delivered.”

“A musical, Mulder? You? Really? I think  _ this _ may be the real X File here.”

“It’ll be great. We’ll be boring, old, theater-going types.”

She kissed him then, and didn’t really care about her arbitrary rules anymore. It was less about the show, and more about what he must have gone through to make it happen. It warmed every part of her each time he amazed her like this. He smiled and pushed her hair back behind her ears, chuckling.

“Maybe I should’ve told you this while we were in the bathtub.”

“Mulder, I’m not even going to ask you how you did it. You work in mysterious ways.”

“Tomorrow night. I’m taking you out to dinner and then to the show. I told you we’d enjoy the city.”

She snuggled into him close, smiling into his chest. “Wonders truly never cease with you.”

“Scully, you know, I don’t think it would be inappropriate at all for us to test out your dopamine… oxytocin… whatever theory. You know, in the interest of science.”

She gave in. After all, it was research.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This scene was inspired by a scene I saw in Mindhunter, where Holden and Debbie got a cute “talking shop” bathtub scene that Mulder and Scully should have had.
> 
> I hope you're enjoying the story, more chapters on the way! Feedback is appreciated :)


	4. Chapter Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mulder has a hunch.
> 
> "Mulder had a theory, and a pretty good one, he thought. But it was one Scully would barely tolerate, let alone a gruff New York City cop who’d seen his share of non-bizarre crimes."

 

 

 

 

Scully awoke to a knock at the door. Everything was hazy at first, and she rolled over, opening her eyes. It took her a second to remember where she was, she hadn’t slept so well in months. Maybe it had been the bed. Maybe it had been having a man in the bed.

Maybe it had been having this particular man in the bed.

Right now, however, he wasn’t in the bed. She heard the shower running and looked at the clock. Who would be knocking this early?

She sat up, sliding the covers off. Her eyes scanned the room quickly for her robe, and she spotted it hanging over the plush armchair next to the bed. She threw it on and headed to the door, looking through the peephole.

Mulder must have ordered room service. She smiled, thinking she could get used to this thoughtfulness he’d been showing lately. He’d always been thoughtful with her for the most part, but he seemed to be really making an effort on this particular excursion.

She opened the door and in rolled a cart filled with fruit, pastries, fresh coffee and plates of eggs and bacon. She tipped the guy and he was on his way.

Before digging in, she peeked into the bathroom and saw him in the shower, his back to her. Even through the foggy glass she could make out the contours of his shoulder blades and it took every ounce of her willpower not to tear her robe off and join him.

For some reason she felt really guilty about having sex while they were supposed to be working. She knew it was silly; they were off the clock during these hours. But the Bureau paid for this room. The taxpayers paid for this room. Her rationality typically took precedence over her libido.

One slip, last night. She’d get over it.

She poured herself a cup of steaming hot coffee and decided to wait for Mulder to eat. She sat at the table by the window and looked out towards the city, already well awake beneath her. Horns honking, people on the sidewalks, even this early the city was alive. She really did like it here. Something about New York was unlike any other place she’d ever been.

It was sexy. It was a sexy city, there was no doubt about that.

After a few minutes Mulder entered the bedroom in his boxers, drying his hair with a towel.

“Morning. Food here?”

She turned and smiled at him. “You know, Mulder, you got me. You have me back. You don’t need to impress me anymore.”

He looked confused. “Who said anything about you? I’m just hungry.”

She scrunched up her face at him. He grinned and walked over to her, kissing the top of her head. “Mmm, that coffee smells great.”

She picked up the small pot and poured him a cup, not moving from her chair. She handed the cup to him and he sipped it.

“This is… perfect, Scully,” he said as he gazed out the window.

“Perfect aside from the horrible murders, you mean?”

He turned to her. “So you _do_ think they’re murders.”

She shrugged. “Like you said, I’m not ruling it out. Not yet, at least.”

She moved her laptop off the table and took some of the food off the cart, settling in for breakfast. “I don’t really want to talk about it, I’m sorry I brought it up. Before 7AM we don’t need to be discussing murders.”

“So that gives us… twenty two minutes to do other stuff?” His eyebrows went up hopefully.

“Yeah, stuff like eat. I’m starving.”

He shook his head. “If I knew this cart would be such a cockblock I never would have ordered it.”

“Shut up and eat, Mulder,” she grinned as she took a bite of her bacon.

“Hey, just so you know, I wasn’t thinking about you at all when I ordered this.”

“Sure.”

“Here’s some proof,” he said, and handed her a small dish of cream cheese. It was definitely the good stuff, not the bullshit light cream cheese. She took it gleefully, flashing the smile he saw so rarely.

“I knew I married you for a reason.”

 

***

 

Mulder peered over the shoulder of a police officer as they searched through the hotel surveillance footage. He’d finally found something of interest: a teenaged boy present at the scene at the right time on the evening in question.

“This kid. We need to talk to him.” Mulder gestured at the screen. The kid looked about sixteen, dark hair, scrawny.

“That one? You think he could be responsible for this?”

Mulder’s eyes narrowed. “It remains to be seen.”

The chief overheard him and sauntered over. “You want me to pull this kid in for questioning? Based on what?”

Mulder shrugged. “Call it a hunch.” He definitely had a hunch, and his hunches rarely meant nothing.

The chief raised a brow. “Look, we welcome your expertise on this, Agent Mulder. These deaths are bizarre, to put it mildly. But I have no good reason to believe this is a murder, let alone a murder perpetrated by a kid.”

“I just want to know what he was doing here. The boy was loitering near the elevators around the time the witnesses called in the strange sounds. Kid his age should be at home doing homework, or out trying to get in some girl’s pants. Not hanging out alone in a hotel hallway. It’s way too odd to not at least check it out. At the very least, he might’ve seen something.”

The chief looked at him thoughtfully. “I’ll put a couple of my boys on helping you track this kid down. But if I’m gonna pull a minor in for questioning on six so-called murders, I’m gonna need more than just a hunch. You’ve got to give me something else here.”

Mulder had a theory, and a pretty good one, he thought. But it was one Scully would barely tolerate, let alone a gruff New York City cop who’d seen his share of non-bizarre crimes.

“Okay. I’ll get you something. I’ll get it before school’s out, and then we can bring this kid in.” His cell phone rang from his pocket.

“Talk to me, Scully.”

_“Where are you, Mulder?”_

“I’ve just gone over hours of surveillance footage and you’re not gonna believe it, but…”

_“You found a suspect? You’re right, I don’t believe it.”_

“It’s a kid. On the footage.”

_“A kid, Mulder?”_

“Teenager. What’s he doing alone at a hotel on a weeknight?”

_“Um.”_

“Exactly.”

_“But… a kid? Murdering couples? Why? And how?”_

Mulder switched the phone to his other ear, turning away from the chief and took a couple steps outside the room.

“You ready for my theory?”

_“I don’t know. Am I?”_

“We’ve seen this kind of thing before, Scully. Remember those kids at Nugenics? They were able to do things with their minds, move things around, communicate telepathically. Remember what Kyle Gilligan did to Dr. Goldman? It was like he made his mind melt with his thoughts.”

_“Yes... I remember. But what does that have to do with these couples? And more specifically, all the sex?”_

Mulder shook his head. “I don’t know. I’m still figuring that out. If it’s him, I’m not sure how he’s choosing these victims, or why. Or how he does it, exactly. But I may need your help convincing the chief.”

_“At least you aren’t thinking it’s a monster.”_

“Not this time. Although some kind of sexy beast would be a great addition to our file cabinet.”

_“What do you need from me?”_

“Can you track down Kyle’s file? Maybe call Skinner, get his support on this? It’s a long shot, and I doubt the chief will believe me but it’s all we’ve got. And it should be enough to at least get him in for questioning.”

_“It wouldn’t be the first time someone thought you were nuts. Is that all?”_

“One more thing... that vial of Kyle’s blood from the Goldman crime scene? You ran that and included it in his file, right? I’m gonna want it for comparative analysis.”

_“You seem really sure about this, Mulder.”_

He smiled, nodding. “Thanks, Scully. Call me when you’ve got something. I’m gonna try to track down this kid.”

 


	5. Chapter Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mulder interrogates a suspect.
> 
> "He sat down again across from him. He knew in his gut what had probably happened, and he was sure Dylan knew more than he was letting on. He just wasn’t sure how much, or exactly how it had occurred. He needed Scully for that."

 

 

 

 

It took some time, but they tracked down the boy. After Skinner had sent over the files on Nugenics and Kyle Gilligan, Mulder explained to Chief Harrison what he thought might be going on. The chief approved the questioning, but remained thoroughly skeptical. It was okay. Mulder was used to that.

The kid looked about sixteen, and up close Mulder could tell he was going through a particularly awkward phase. He sympathized a bit, knowing how tough it was to be a teenager when he grew up, let alone in today’s modern world.

“Hi, I’m Special Agent Fox Mulder. What’s your name?”

The kid looked at the surface of the table in front of him. “Don’t I need a lawyer or something?”

“You’re not under arrest,” Mulder explained. “I just want to ask you a few questions.”

“Dylan Thomas.”

“How old are you, Dylan?”

“Sixteen.”

“You’re… a junior then?”

Dylan nodded.

“What were you doing at the Omni Berkshire two nights ago? Odd place for a kid your age to be hanging around.”

Dylan looked up at him. “Nothing.”

Mulder smiled and sat down across from him. “You’re gonna have to do better than that, Dylan. What were you doing there?”

The kid was quiet a minute. “I was… following someone.”

Now they were getting somewhere. “Who were you following?”

“Look, man, I don’t know anything about anything, okay? I just wanted to… talk to someone. They went into their room and I didn’t get a chance so I left.”

“Who, Dylan?”

He chewed his bottom lip. Mulder could tell he was trying to think his way out. But then he sighed. “Miss Stevenson.”

Mulder blinked. One of the victim’s names was Charlotte Stevenson. “Who’s that?”

“She’s a teacher at my school.”

“And why would you be following a teacher around, Dylan?”

“I just wanted to talk to her, that’s all.”

“But... you didn’t? Talk to her?”

“No. She went into the room with her boyfriend. I waited around for a bit hoping she’d come out but she didn’t, and I left. That’s all I know, okay?”

Mulder looked at him. “Are you aware Miss Stevenson is dead? Possibly murdered?”

Dylan’s face was expressionless. He bit at his fingernails and kept looking at the table. “We heard about it at school today.”

The case was starting to take an obvious shape, at least to Mulder. He stood up and placed his hands on the metallic surface of the table, leaning forward a bit.

“Dylan? I’m gonna level with you. I think I know what’s going on here, and I think you do, too.”

“You think I have something to do with this?”

“Maybe.”

Dylan eyed him, sizing him up. “I didn’t murder anyone.”

Mulder shook his head. “I don’t think you did, either. At least, I don’t think you meant to.”

Mulder wasn’t sure how much the kid knew at all. He’d been told his teacher was dead and he was in her proximity at the time. Was that all he was aware of?

“Do you know what happened at that hotel last night, Dylan?”

The kid shook his head. “I don’t know anything.”

Mulder debated it for a second, then, deciding the kid had surely seen worse on the internet, pulled the crime scene photos from the file on the table. He laid them out in front of him, withholding the one of his teacher.

“Have you seen anything like this before?”

Dylan looked at the photos. Mulder had done a fair amount of these interrogations over the years, and he was certain the horror on the boy’s face was genuine.

“What is this? This happened at that hotel? The night Miss Stevenson died?”

Mulder nodded.

“But… what happened to them?” Dylan looked upset.

“We don’t know, Dylan. But we think you might.”

Dylan looked up at him. “How would I know? This is some crazy shit. This is like… horror movie shit.”

“Yes, it is,” Mulder said evenly, not taking his eyes off him.

Dylan was quiet for a minute and just stared at the photos. Not wanting to traumatize him further, Mulder scooped them up and put them away. He sat down again across from him. He knew in his gut what had probably happened, and he was sure Dylan knew more than he was letting on. He just wasn’t sure how much, or exactly how it had occurred. He needed Scully for that.

Luckily, it was as if he’d willed her into existence and she came into the interrogation room.

“Hello, I’m Agent Scully,” she greeted Dylan. She moved close to Mulder and touched his forearm, leaning down to whisper into his ear. “ _His mother is waiting. You need to wrap it up_.”

Her breath tickled Mulder’s ear and he felt an involuntary hot rush that surprised him; that usually didn’t happen while they were working. Compartmentalizing these feelings was one of his greatest talents, and he was actually quite proud of it.

Dylan watched them curiously as she whispered. Mulder could feel the kid’s eyes on the two of them, and he felt a bit uncomfortable.

He turned his attention back to the boy. “I want you to know, if there’s something you want to tell me or talk about, you can. I’m your best bet here, Dylan. I’ll believe you. And I’d like to help you.”

Mulder felt conflicted. Innocent people had died horrible, gruesome deaths. But he wasn’t certain this kid knew the extent of what he might truly be capable of. He wasn’t sure how to feel.

Dylan looked him right in the eye. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Mulder was certain the kid did it but he had nothing concrete to hold him on. Such was the endlessly frustrating nature of working on the X Files. He would have to let him go.

“Okay. Thanks, Dylan. Your mom is here. You can go.” He handed him his card. “If you remember anything, or ever want to talk, please call me.”

The kid took the card, got up and left the room. Mulder watched him leave, and wondered if Dylan had meant to kill his teacher or not. Was he a monster with pathos? Or just a monster?

“I want to find out everything we can about this kid,” he said to Scully, the hot flush he’d felt earlier rapidly receding. “His medical history, everything.”

“What are you thinking?” Scully asked.

“I’m convinced he did it,” Mulder asserted. “We just need to figure out how. And why, I imagine.”

“I was listening to the interview. Let me guess: you think he followed his teacher, whom he most likely has a crush on, got close to the door, heard them having sex, and… boom?”

“We really should be picking out china patterns, Scully,” he smiled.

“Are you honestly telling me we have a horny teenager to blame for these deaths? And the _why_ is... simple jealousy?”

“Or maybe there is no why. Maybe he didn’t mean to do it at all.”

“You think he accidentally killed them?”

Mulder put his hand on her shoulder and started walking them out of the interrogation room. “You were telling me last night about all the hormones and chemical reactions involved in all the different stages of sex, remember?” he reminded her.

“I was pretty sure _you_ wouldn’t remember, considering what we were doing at the time.”

“Well, I guess it got through, Scully. What if Dylan can’t control this? What if he just… reacted involuntarily? And because of some chemical imbalance, he reacted violently?”

“I suppose it's plausible. But then what about the other couples? And the fact they were all having sex? What does that mean?”

“I’m still working on that,” he admitted. “Did you run the tox screen again?”

She shook her head. “Yeah, there was nothing new. Right the first time.”

“Do you have any thoughts on this?”

She sighed. “Your theory, while admittedly far fetched, is probably the most likely one I can entertain right now. I wish I could get this kid into the lab and test his monoamine neurotransmitter levels. If something is off, it would go a long way in proving your theory.”

“Well, we’ve got to have something to bring him in on first. I’m trying to figure out what that is short of another murder. I’d obviously like to prevent that.”

“Obviously.”

“I’ll finish up here, okay? Why don’t you head back to the hotel? Have that kid Parker give you a ride. I’m going to try to get those medical records and then I’ll meet you back there.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out an envelope. “I’m giving you the theater tickets to hold. Guard them with your life, Scully.”

“Okay.” She put the envelope in her coat pocket and smiled. She looked around, more out of habit than anything else, and saw nobody. Placing a quick peck on his lips, she went in search of her ride.

Mulder watched her go, wondering how many more kisses in police stations they’d share. It wasn’t a sad thought, just an observation. He pondered what she must be thinking and feeling, if she was ready to be done with all of this, too.

He planned to talk about it with her tonight. Not talking about things was in their past. He was ready to talk about their future.

 


	6. Chapter Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Scully smiled. He was head over heels for this girl, and she knew exactly how he felt. It was such a nice moment of levity, to be sitting here with this person she felt a connection with in the midst of all the horror they were dealing with. She liked him, a lot, and she couldn't quite put a finger on why."

 

 

 

 

The hotel bar was mostly empty, a bit too early for pre-dinner drinks. But it was quiet and comfortable. Officer Parker had some time to kill before picking his girlfriend up at the airport and Scully offered to buy him a cup of coffee.

“So, twenty five years together, huh? That’s… impressive,” he said as they sat at a small table. There was a piano player in the bar, playing quietly.

Scully sighed. “It certainly has been, although not always smooth sailing, I’ll admit. It’s taken us a long time to get where we are.”

“What do you mean?” He looked confused. Most people did whenever confronted with the intricacies of what she and Mulder called their relationship.

“It’s a long story. We started out as partners, friends. Our work has been very intense over the years.” She laughed to herself. “That’s honestly an understatement. We were forced to deal with things no two people ever should, all while confronting feelings along the way neither of us expected to have. It’s been quite a journey.”

She took a sip of her coffee and smiled. “But I’ve been lucky to have him by my side through it all. No one else understands me the way he does. And I think he would say the same.”

Officer Parker nodded. “Yeah, I can see that. You two have got some kind of zen mind-melding thing going on.”

Scully raised an eyebrow. “We do?”

“Oh yeah, for sure. I’ve been watching you guys. The way you interact. Even when you’re not saying anything. It’s like… you’re both on some level no one else can touch. It’s pretty amazing, actually.”

She looked surprised. “Really?”

“I’m sorry, is that… creepy? That sounded creepier than I wanted it to.”

She shook her head. “No, it’s not that. It’s just interesting. I guess that can happen when you spend every waking hour with the same person for as long as we have.”

“And you don’t get sick of each other?”

She laughed. “Of course we do. It happens to everyone.”

He chuckled. “I suppose you’re right.”

“Mulder can be very… determined. He always goes for the most unbelievable explanation for any given problem. And we tend to butt heads, because I’m a scientist. But over the years he’s opened my mind up to things I’d never have considered before. It’s really pretty amazing, when you think about it.” She shook her head and smiled to herself. It really was. She didn’t take enough opportunities to acknowledge it as such.

“Sounds like your job is pretty unique.”

“I’ll say,” she agreed. “So tell me about your girlfriend. You mentioned she’s a medical student?”

“Yeah, at the University of Texas. Her name is Ava. She’s got a year left and then hopes to get an internship at a hospital out here.”

“Does she know what she wants to specialize in?”

“Um. I’m not great with the medical jargon. She wants to cut up dead bodies and stuff? Figure out how people died, what caused it?”

“Pathology?”

“Yeah, that’s the one. Wow, you know a lot about this.”

She clarified. “I’m actually a medical doctor as well. I studied pathology myself.”

He nodded, impressed. “Do you think maybe if you have the time, she could meet you? It would be great for her to have someone who knows about this stuff to talk to. I just nod and listen most of the time.”

“Well, then, you’re doing it right, I imagine,” she assured him. “I'd love to meet her. Why did you move out here before her?”

He shrugged. “I was so tired of Texas. Austin is great, but… there’s an atmosphere there now. I just wanted to get out of that part of the country. For my own sanity.”

“I get it.” She got it.

“I like it here, a lot. We agreed it would be okay for a year, doing the long distance thing. She’s so busy and focused, and we plan to see each other whenever we can.”

Scully was impressed at the maturity of their decision. She remembered what medical school had been like for her. The work was intense, and she had been dealing with her relationship with Daniel Waterston at the time. It wasn't the best choice, for several reasons, but she definitely could have done without the distraction. That Officer Parker was so supportive and understanding of his girlfriend’s aspirations was just one more thing to like about him.

“It’s great that you’re so supportive. Especially when it means you have to be apart. That’s important.”

“She’s worth it,” he said dreamily. “She’s so smart, and kind, and fearless. I don’t know how I got so lucky.”

Scully smiled. He was head over heels for this girl, and she knew exactly how he felt. It was such a nice moment of levity, to be sitting here with this person she felt a connection with in the midst of all the horror they were dealing with. She liked him, a lot, and she couldn't quite put a finger on why.

“You seem like a good man, Officer Parker. She’s lucky to have you.”

“Will,” he said.

Scully’s eyes widened. “Excuse me?”

“My name, it’s Will. You can call me Will.”

She felt like her heart might stop. It seemed like a sign of something, she just didn’t know what. He noticed her reaction but it wasn’t a topic she wanted to broach.

“Really, are you okay?” he asked.

“Yes, I’m sorry. You just… made me think of someone for a moment. Someone I miss.”

He smiled at her but he could sense he shouldn’t push, so he didn’t. She changed the subject.

“So where are you taking Ava tonight? I hope you plan to show her a good time.”

“I’m going to take her out to dinner, a nice place. Then we’ll probably just walk around the city. She really wanted to see _Hamilton_ but, you know, that’s impossible.”

“I do know,” she started. Then she perked up a bit. “She wants to see it bad, huh?”

He shook his head, laughing. “I’ve entered that damn lottery every day, no luck. And I don’t really have the cash to make it happen. Someday, though.”

“Hey, Will? I think you’re going to make Ava’s night,” she smiled.

 

***

 

Scully unlocked the hotel room door and pushed inside. She felt good about what she’d done for Will and his girlfriend but the sight of Mulder in front of the mirror, in his suit, tying his tie made her second guess her decision.

“Hey,” he grinned, turning to her. “Our reservation is in an hour, you should change.”

Scully grimaced and slowly approached him. He could tell by her face something was wrong.

“What is it? You okay?”

“I don’t know how you’re going to take this,” she sighed.

He looked concerned. “Oh, _no._ More murders?”

She shook her head. “No, not that. I, uh…” she flinched a bit. “I gave our theater tickets to Officer Parker and his girlfriend.”

Mulder’s face fell. “You what? Oh, Scully.”

“I’m sorry! It just kind of happened. He mentioned his girlfriend really wanted to go, and… it just felt like the right thing to do. I like him.”

He wrapped his arms around her and sighed.

“I’m sorry, are you mad? I know how hard those must have been to get.”

“Of course I’m not mad, Scully. Only you would do something like that. It’s so… you.”

“I think they’ll enjoy it more than we would have. But I know you planned this whole night out, and I messed it up.”

“You didn’t mess anything up, okay? That was such a nice thing to do.”

He kissed the top of her head, rubbing her back and they just stood there together, appreciating the other. Her for being kind, and him for being… him. She knew he wasn’t mad.

“He told me his name is Will.”

Mulder stopped rubbing her back.

“Oh.”

He pulled out of their embrace to look at her. He searched her eyes with his own. “That’s… something.”

“I’m fine, Mulder. I am.”

“You always say you’re fine, Scully. You can tell me if you’re not. You can always tell me.”

She leaned against him. He smelled really good. “I know that. I’m not _completely_ fine but I’m close. As close as I may ever get.”

He held her in silence for a minute, knowing there wasn’t much more to say about that. As palpable as William’s absence was, they had each other. Focusing on the good in their lives was paramount after so many years of heartache.

“You’re amazing, you know that?” he mumbled into her hair.

“Even though I ruined our evening?”

“You ruined nothing. We can still go to dinner, right?”

“Of course. Let me get ready.”

She released him and headed into the bathroom.

“I found something out that I think you’ll find incredibly interesting, Scully.”

“Oh yeah?” she called.

“I was looking into Dylan’s history. He grew up in foster care and has changed schools five times since he was eight. But the interesting part is where he was for two months during the year of 2014.”

“Let me guess: being treated at Nugenics?”

“Well, not specifically that facility. But one Dr. Augustus Goldman is listed as the physician treating him for those months.”

“Even _I_ don’t think that could be a coincidence.”

“The good news is, we don’t have to figure out a way to get a blood sample, because we have access to the records.”

“And?”

“I sent it to the lab along with Kyle’s sample to make a comparison. They found… startling similarities.”

“Okay. Another non-coincidence.”

He smiled at her willingness to entertain his theory without second guessing him. “You’ve come a long way, baby.”

“It’s been a long road to travel, Mulder. Any anomalies in his hormone or neurotransmitter levels?”

“Extremely elevated dopamine, testosterone and serotonin.”

“Bingo.”

“We know the government is already looking for these kids, and systematically eliminating them. I wonder how many are still out there somewhere?”

Mulder heard the shower turn on and Scully kept talking from inside. “Can you still hear me?”

“Yeah,” he said, stepping into the bathroom.

“Back when you were away, and I was alone with William...” she started. He felt a pain in his heart that might never really dissipate; he could never get that time back, the time he’d spent away from them. He could never get a do-over. It still hurt to think about it.  

“There was this woman who found us. Alien-hybrid something or other. I don’t know, Mulder. She said the government was attempting to create more of those... super soldiers, organically. That they were testing this technology on pregnant women. Agent Doggett told me he'd learned William was one of them."

He stepped closer to her to listen.

“Then I was approached by another couple whose child was exhibiting the same powers as he was. At first I thought they were just trying to get to William but… I believed them. They were afraid for their child."

Mulder sat on the edge of the jacuzzi tub. “Why haven’t you told me this before?”

Things had been awful after she’d given William up. They hadn’t talked about him much at all, even back when they were relatively happy. It was a topic best left untouched, because the mere mention of him threatened any semblance of contentment in an already fraught situation. He had known William could move things with his mind, and that there had been multiple attempts on his life. They hadn't discussed him much further at the time.

“I guess I never wanted to believe it. He was already gone, we never talked about it. There was never a right time or reason to dredge all this up.”

“And you think maybe... this is what happened to Dylan? And to our son? That this is all connected somehow?”

“I don’t know.” She was quiet for a minute, washing her hair, the sounds of the shower the only noise present. Steam slowly filled the room.

“Mulder, you don’t think…?” she trailed off.

He knew what she was asking and shook his head. “It can’t be him, Scully. He would have shown up on the surveillance footage.”

He saw her nodding, her back to him. She finished rinsing her hair and shut off the water. As she stepped out of the shower Mulder pulled a towel down and handed it to her.

“It’s so strange, Mulder. Since we got to see him, it’s like everything changed. He doesn’t know us, he doesn’t know anything about us. But we got to know him, a little. I never thought we’d get to see him again.”

“I know what you mean. Before, he was just a kind of... feeling. Now he’s a real person.”

He couldn’t help but feel like everything was indeed connected. He remembered standing with Scully in that church, waiting with her as she prayed for a miracle. He didn’t know exactly what she’d been praying for, but he thought he knew. It was the same thing he’d been hoping for: answers.

Truth. As always.

The officer Scully had befriended shared the same name they’d given their son. The suspect seemed to share his powers. Mulder felt like all this was leading somewhere important, maybe even revelatory for them. Knowing their son’s fate was something they both knew they needed to move forward.

Tonight, however, wasn’t going to be about that. She seemed to agree.

“Let’s not talk about this right now, okay? I just want to have a good time with you tonight.”

She finished drying off and put her robe on. She opened and closed a couple drawers until she found the blow dryer and plugged it in. She started drying her hair and after a couple minutes Mulder realized he’d just been staring, his mind wandering. It was such a simple moment, having a conversation with her while she got ready to go out with him. But he felt as if he had to acknowledge it, the mundaneness of it. Scully liked it when that happened. He imagined there was a bank of normalcy in her mind, and every time they made a deposit he was certain she noticed.

“This is nice, Scully. Normal. I feel all... grown up, or something.”

“Well, you _are_ closing in on senior discount territory, Mulder.”

He grimaced. “Eek. You’re right. Yikes.”

“Don’t grow up too much, okay? I love you just the way you are.”

He stepped over to kiss her on the cheek. “I’ll let you do your thing.”

He walked out of the bathroom to give her some privacy and clicked on the TV while he waited. He never minded waiting for her.

 


	7. Chapter Seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mulder takes Scully out, and gives her some revelatory information.
> 
> "She was stunned. Retirement wasn’t something she thought she’d ever hear him say he wanted, and she knew him better than anyone. She always assumed he’d be chasing monsters and aliens with his badge and gun until the Bureau had to literally pry them out of his cold dead hands."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I adored the church scene in NLF, it was perfect and beautiful and very M&S. But if we truly have reached the end of the X-Files, forever, there are some things I feel like Mulder needed to say to Scully to get them to a place I'd like them to be at the end of MS4.

 

 

 

The Rainbow Room was located on the very top floor of Rockefeller Center, and had a view of the city that could be rivaled by none other. Mulder pulled Scully’s chair out and she sat down, letting his gallantry win the evening.

It was such a funny feeling, enjoying a night out with him like this. There was no tension, no uncertainty, no bar to clear or plateau to reach. They’d conquered it all and made it through to the other side. No other couple could claim they’d been through more than the two of them had together. As he sat down across from her she couldn’t help but smile at the finality of it.

“This is nice, huh?” He reached out and took her hand. “We don’t have to rush now. Silver lining.”

She smiled at him. “I know you may not believe this, Mulder, but I’d much rather spend three hours talking to you than watching a musical.”

“That’s the most romantic thing you’ve ever said to me, Scully.”

“It’s the truth.”

He pulled her hand to his lips and kissed it. “We are absolutely disgusting.”

She laughed. “Right now, yes, we are.”

He released her hand and sat back a bit in his chair, looking out the window. She followed suit. Mulder in all his evening attired glory had little competition for her attentions, but the beauty of the nighttime Manhattan skyline could give him a run for his money. The sun was just setting and the Empire State Building illuminated as they watched.

“I do have something I want to talk to you about tonight, Scully.”

“Oh?”

“I’ve been thinking about the future. Mine, yours. Ours.”

She smiled at him. Mulder, in spite of everything, behaving like an optimist. It was one of the things she’d been noticing in him more and more lately.

“Actually, I’ve been thinking about it for some time now,” he continued.

Scully wasn’t sure where he was going with this. She assumed whatever their future would be, they’d be in each other’s and that’s all that really mattered.

“I know we still have things to do, important things involving our work. Our son.”

She flinched a bit at the mention of William. Nothing remained unsaid anymore, unfelt by either of them, but it still hurt to think of him. Maybe it always would.

“But you and I aren’t where we were twenty, fifteen, even ten years ago. Things are different now. We’re different.”

She had the feeling he was stalling, dancing around the point, that familiar dance they’d been so used to for so long. Like he said, they were different now. She wasn’t going to let him get away with it.

“Yes, we are different now, Mulder. What are you saying?”

“I’m saying I’m done, Scully. With all of it. The X Files, the FBI, everything that’s held me hostage from living the life I haven’t been, the moments I missed, the time I can’t get back.”

At this moment, a waiter approached their table and Mulder ordered a bottle of red to make him go away.

“You mean… are you saying you want to retire?” Scully asked, hardly believing her own words.

He nodded. “I’ve been thinking about it a lot lately. And I think it’s the right decision for me. And for you.” He quickly corrected himself. “I don’t mean for you to retire, I mean it’s the right decision for you _for me_ to retire.”

“So… you don’t want me to retire?”

He shook his head. “No, I just… want you to do whatever you want to do. And I’ll be here to support whatever that is.”

She was stunned. Retirement wasn’t something she thought she’d ever hear him say he wanted, and she knew him better than anyone. She always assumed he’d be chasing monsters and aliens with his badge and gun until the Bureau had to literally pry them out of his cold dead hands.

The waiter returned with the wine and they sat in slightly awkward silence as he opened the bottle. He asked which of them would taste it and Scully did; wine wasn’t on Mulder’s long list of specialties. After the waiter took their orders and left them alone, Mulder turned his attention back to her.

“What are you thinking, Scully?”

She wasn’t sure what she wanted. Yes, the idea of being done with the X Files tempted her. But she also knew they’d returned to the FBI for a reason and they hadn’t completed their work. Not to mention that the last time they had to live without them it ultimately tore them apart. She’d be lying if she didn’t concede that his idleness was one of the contributing factors to their disintegration. For him to choose that life… it was surprising to her.

“I don’t know. I think… I’m going to need to think this over.”

He nodded. “Whatever you want, Scully. I don’t want to do anything you wouldn’t be okay with.”

She wasn’t sure what to think. She did want to slow down with him. She felt she’d earned it; that _they’d_ earned it. She’d felt it years ago. But those tiny nagging doubts that he could never be satisfied were still present, she could still feel them. She didn’t want to risk going down that road again unless they were both sure.

She turned to look out at the city. Circling her mind were thoughts of the two of them together, just… living. Like this, right here, right now. She had to admit they were thoughts she liked.

“When… were you thinking?” she asked.

“I’m not sure. Not today, not tomorrow. But soon.”

“Soon.”

He smiled, a faraway look in his eyes. “Sooner than ever before.”

She sipped her wine and pictured what that would look like. She couldn’t count the times she imagined this moment, when he’d finally tell her he was finished with all of this. That he wanted to settle down and be still, with her. Just the two of them. Back when they lived together and things started getting bad, she’d pictured it often. But those days were long behind them, and she didn’t want to revisit that dark time in their lives anymore. As he’d pointed out, they were different now. They were two people who talked to each other, who told the truth, who had little to fear.

“I realize we may never see our son again,” Mulder continued. “I’m trying my best to accept that. It’s where I was before we found him, and even though it’s harder now, I want to get back there. I think we both do.”

She wanted to get there, desperately. She just wasn’t quite sure how she could. She did have Mulder with her now, though, in a way she didn’t before in this particular fight. She grieved William alone all those years, and now finally they were grieving him together. Acceptance felt within her grasp, with him there to keep her strong.

“More than anything, I want you to know this,” he said, and he took both of her hands in his. “It’s something I’ve wanted to say to you for months, and I just haven’t found the right opportunity.”

He looked deeply into her eyes, and she was amazed at how they were still exactly the same eyes she first looked into when she met him in that basement office. They’d gone through so much already. What could he possibly have to say to her that hasn’t been said?

As always, he continued to surprise her as he delivered his next words.

“You are enough, Scully. You are more than enough. You will be enough for me forever, and I can promise you that.”

She didn’t think she needed to hear him declare himself any more than he already had, but she’d been wrong. She wanted to hear these words from him. His next words took her by surprise.

“Will I be enough for you?”

His eyes glistened, and she saw sadness and love and regret and a million other things as he looked into hers. Mostly though, she saw hope.

She’d been so focused on worrying she hadn’t been enough for him all these years she’d rarely considered her own feelings on the matter. Was he enough for her?

She wanted to be a mother, desperately. She would never get to be one, and she knew she had to come to terms with that. But there was a truth she knew deep down, one she’d known even when she asked Mulder about his genetic history on that bench in Home, Pennsylvania. Even when she asked him to be the father of her child. And even when they held William between them and he kissed her and told her he loved her, her whole world falling into place like tumblers in a lock she’d been trying to open her entire life.

What she knew was that whatever happened, he was enough. He would always be enough. He was her constant, her touchstone. Her true north.

He was _her_ Mulder. And as long as he remained so, he would be enough.

“You’ve been enough for me for longer than you know.” She squeezed his hands. “I’ve always wondered what you’d do without the X Files, with only me. The last time we tried this it didn’t go so well. So you can understand my skepticism when you tell me you’re done.”

He nodded. “I know, I remember. All I can ask of you is to put your trust in me, Scully, that things are different now.”

She looked him in the eyes and told him the truth.

“I trust you. I’ve always trusted you.”

 


	8. Chapter Eight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Scully and Mulder have a close encounter.
> 
> "She pulled away from his ear and looked at him, her hands clenched to his shoulders. He was gripping her by the arms and he felt her knees go weak. She was breathing heavily and her eyes were dilated. He knew that look, he’d seen it a million times. But in this moment he felt terror, not turned on."

 

 

 

The night had gone perfectly, and the satisfaction Mulder felt only seemed to increase with every step as he and Scully approached their hotel, hand in hand. After dinner, they’d walked around midtown and enjoyed the city and each other’s company. The weather was cold but it hadn’t thwarted their evening. They’d shopped a bit, ducked into a jazz club, and then decided to head back. Everything felt exactly the right amount of "normal" and normal with her, right now, felt amazing.

Mulder felt a bit tipsy as their hotel came into view. He’d definitely had a few more drinks than he normally would. Scully had been responsible, as ever.

She smiled and looked up at him as they walked along. “I had a great time tonight, Mulder. Thank you for making all this happen.” 

“You’re welcome, Scully. Nice to know I can still show a girl a good time.”

They walked a few more paces and he could feel her thumb softly rubbing against his own hand, just near his pulse point. It was one of her little signals he’d learned over the years they were headed for a great end to their evening.

She let go of his hand and suddenly Mulder felt her pushing him against the wall, hard. Before he knew what was happening her mouth was on his, her hands were in his hair, and there they were on the sidewalk making out like two horny teenagers.

She pressed her body against his and started to grind against him. His arousal was only outweighed by his confusion. She hadn’t had much to drink, first of all. Public displays of affection were certainly not Scully’s style, and definitely not the kind that led to her hand making its way into his pants which was what was happening right now and _oh my god-_

“Scully-“ he grunted, his eyes widening.

He felt lightheaded and could only focus on the sensations she was creating in his body. He knew they shouldn't be doing this here, now, and while he knew rationally it was wrong it all felt so good that he tried to convince himself it was right. Everything was happening so fast and his brain went into overdrive. Scully's hand suddenly darted out of his pants as if she couldn’t make up her mind what to do. She moved her hands to his shoulders and pulled his coat down over them, and then to his great bewilderment she grabbed his shirt with both hands and ripped it open, buttons flying everywhere.

It was at this point Mulder clued in that something was definitely very wrong. This was not something his Scully would be doing.

She grabbed his face with one hand, the back of his neck with the other and her mouth moved to suck on his earlobe. He couldn't understand how this had all escalated so quickly. She moaned his name into his ear and for a moment he thought he might start to break apart right there on the sidewalk when he noticed Dylan over her shoulder, standing in the shadows across the street watching them.

Suddenly everything clicked into place and he knew what was happening.

“Scully… we need to stop,” he pleaded.

She pulled away from his ear and looked at him, her hands clenched to his shoulders. He was gripping her by the arms and he felt her knees go weak. She was breathing heavily and her eyes were dilated. He knew that look, he’d seen it a million times. But in this moment he felt terror, not turned on. All he knew was that he needed to get that kid as far away from her as possible.

Dylan noticed Mulder watching him, turned, and started to run away.

“Agent Scully? Agent Mulder?”

Mulder’s eyes widened at the voice and he looked to his left. Officer Parker and his girlfriend were approaching them curiously. He grabbed Scully by the shoulders and turned her around, lowering her to the ground against the wall.

“Stay with her!” he ordered the officer, and took off running after Dylan. He hated leaving her there but he knew every bit of distance he put between her and the kid was likelier to keep her alive.

He ran and ran several blocks. The kid was fast. Mulder didn’t want to draw his weapon in a crowd of people so he waited as he gained on him slowly. Several paces ahead he saw Dylan take a sharp turn into Bryant Park.

Mulder’s feet ached from the dress shoes he was wearing and he decided at that moment he would more than likely lose him in the park anyway. He also figured the kid was well out of range to harm Scully, which was his primary concern at the moment. He stopped and turned around to head back towards the hotel, hoping beyond hope he wouldn’t find a gory mess there in her place.

As he approached the hotel he could see her and he breathed a sigh of relief. Officer Parker’s girlfriend was leaning over Scully, talking to her.

“Is she okay?” Mulder asked breathlessly as he ran up.

“She seems fine,” the young woman responded. She stood up.

“Was that our suspect?” Officer Parker asked.

Mulder nodded, breathing heavily. “Yeah, he… he got away. Into the park. I had to stop.”

“Should I call for backup? To go after him?”

Mulder shook his head. “We’ll track him down. I just wanted to get him as far away from her as possible.”

He got down on his knee and looked at Scully, gently turning her head from side to side. “You all right?”

“I’m fine, Mulder. Just a little embarrassed.”

“I have a new theory, if you want to hear it.”

“Always.”

“Pheromones.”

“Pheromones,” she repeated.

“We’ve seen this kind of thing before. This guy… he must have an abundance of them, he puts it out into the air like an animal in heat. Only it doesn’t affect him. It affects people around him. At least, the people in a frame of mind to… act on it.”

“You mean, people having sex. But you and I were only walking down the street.”

“I don’t think sex is a prerequisite. I think you were right, Scully, when you said before we were dealing with some extreme coincidences, only three couples doing the nasty in a hotel at night isn’t exactly catching lightning in a bottle.”

“Why didn’t the pheromones affect you, then?”

Mulder thought a second. “Well, I think they did. Maybe not as much, though. I had quite a bit to drink tonight. You didn’t. Maybe that had something to do with it?”

“Okay,” she said, nodding. “So he emits them as a way to… subdue his victims?”

“It would overwhelm your decision making process, wouldn’t it? Make you more vulnerable? And it could explain why the married guy didn’t take the time to snap on the latex,” Mulder theorized.

“That is true. During sex, the lateral orbitofrontal cortex shuts down. It’s what controls our self-evaluation and reason.”

“What he’s doing is almost like a hunting ritual. Except he may not even realize he’s doing it," he wondered aloud. "Let’s game this out, Scully. Say, due to some genetic defect or mutation, the kid has an overabundance of hormones.”

“And being a teenager he would already have an overabundance,” Scully pointed out.

“Dylan’s mind control may only extend to the pituitary gland. He probably _caused_ both the orgasm and the death, at the same time.”

“But why is it only his pituitary being affected?”

He shrugged. “Maybe his need provides a heightened sense. In the same way Kyle Gilligan needed to find his sister, his ability to communicate telepathically was heightened. Maybe the only thing on this sixteen year old boy’s mind is sex.”

Scully was nodding. “So... he killed his teacher and her boyfriend, either on purpose or by accident, and the couples nearby were... what, collateral damage?”

“It’s possible.”

“But what about the people who were alone in their rooms? It’s not as if you can’t get off by yourself.”

Mulder looked at her pointedly and grinned. “Why Agent Scully, I wouldn’t possibly know what you mean by that.”

She swatted him playfully, remembering a night not too long ago when he’d had a little fun at her expense on the very same topic.

“Maybe it’s like you said, they just weren’t in the frame of mind.” Scully shook her head in wonder. “It’s funny, we think of sex as a physical act, but it _is_ mostly mental.”

“Exactly.”

“So he followed us... so he could kill us? Why?”

“No, no… I think you’ve got it backwards. I don’t think he meant to kill anyone. I think he’s just your typical oversexed teenager except he’s equipped with dangerous powers he can’t control.”

“And you and I… we would have…”

“Probably, and as much as I’d like to take credit for what happened to you just now I have a sneaking suspicion good old fashioned biology is to blame,” he smirked.

“And if it had gone on much longer...?”

“You might not have a head anymore.”

It was as close to figuring out an X File as they usually got. They looked up to face Officer Parker and his girlfriend, who were staring at them blankly.

“I think I’m going to have to hear about some more of these cases you two have worked,” Officer Parker said, slightly stunned.

Scully laughed. Mulder helped her up to her feet.

“So… if I’m hearing you correctly, Agent Mulder, we have a teenager running loose in Manhattan capable of killing anyone the slightest bit turned on?”

Mulder nodded. “Unfortunately.”

“Well, as this may be the most oversexed city on the planet, that's definitely alarming.” Officer Parker scratched the back of his head. “I’m not sure what the chief is going to think about all this, to be honest.”

“I know exactly what he’s going to think about it,” Mulder responded. “But leave that to me.”

They all stood around looking at each other.

“This is my girlfriend Ava, Agent Scully, Agent Mulder,” Officer Parker introduced her. They all shook hands.

“Nice to meet you,” Mulder said.

“Thank you so much for the tickets,” Ava blurted out. “We wanted to come thank you both. We had such a great time.”

“That was all Scully,” Mulder admitted. “But you’re welcome.”

Scully smiled. “How was the show?”

“Amazing,” Ava replied. “Although after all this I can’t remember much right now, to be honest. This is what you guys… do? All the time?”

“You mean, attempt to solve murders that have no logical explanation? Yeah, that’s what we do. All the time,” Mulder grinned. Scully’s hair was mussed and she still looked a bit flushed.

“Um…” Officer Parker said, blushing. “We’ll be going now, we didn’t mean to... interrupt anything.”

Scully took Mulder’s hand. “Apparently it was just pheromones. Right, Mulder? You didn’t interrupt anything.”

“Nothing at all,” Mulder agreed. He raised a brow at her, then winked.

“Why don’t you two come inside with us and have a drink?” Scully invited.

“Really?” Ava asked. She looked at Officer Parker and smiled, and he nodded, leading her inside.

“Will tells me you’re interested in pathology,” Scully said to her as they walked inside the warm lobby. Mulder followed them inside, and pulled out his phone to call the chief.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Am I wrong to think Scully and Mulder would have really enjoyed Hamilton? I kind of feel like Chris Carter, intentionally taking away something good from them. I'm kind of an asshole, I guess. Oh well.


	9. Chapter Nine

 

 

 

 

 

“I was really scared for a minute out there, Scully.”

She grabbed his hand and held it close to her heart, snuggling her back into his chest, her head resting against the pillow. “I’m fine, Mulder.”

“No, not about that. I thought you were going to tear my clothes off and get us arrested for public indecency.”

She laughed. “Yeah, I think I would have. I really would have. It’s a good thing you ran away when you did." She thought for a moment. "It wasn’t even like I was outside of myself, or anything like that. I knew exactly what I was doing and I wanted to do it. The compulsion was unbelievable. It didn’t matter that we were in public. It was... animalistic.”

“That is… really hot, I’m not gonna lie.”

“It truly was like all those years ago with that Kindred guy.” She thought for a moment. “Can you imagine if it had been you in that room instead?”

“Hmm. I think I’d like to.”

“The things I’d have done to you.”

“Ooh. Scully.”

“How differently everything would have gone.”

“Knowing us, we’d have just moved on with life and never talked about it,” he conceded.

She laughed. “You’re right, I’ll bet nothing would have changed. Except we both would’ve had a great night.”

Mulder squeezed her tighter and leaned over her cheek, as she turned back for a kiss. They lay there quietly for a minute.

“I wonder how many more of these kids are just running around out there, unchecked,” Mulder said. “Like Kyle Gilligan and his sister. Or even…” he stopped himself before the word escaped his lips.

“Even William,” she finished.

He sighed. “Yeah.”

They both lay together, thinking loudly at each other. It was something they did from time to time and they could always feel it. After a minute, Scully spoke.

“This case really does make me think of what happened with him. The whole Ghouli thing. What he did to those girls.”

Mulder shook his head. “I really want to believe he didn’t intend for it to go so far.”

“I know. I do, too. I want to believe that about Dylan, too. These kids were given this… mutation, or whatever it is. They were only meant to serve some agenda. It’s tragic.”

Mulder just held her close. “All of it is tragic.”

“Why do you think he came to our hotel? Why come to us, if not to kill us?” Scully asked.

“I’ve been thinking about that. Maybe he came for help, and got spooked.”

Scully shifted around in the bed, turning her body to face him.

“Do you think we’ll ever see him again?” she asked quietly.

He sighed, knowing she wasn’t talking about Dylan anymore. “I hope so. I really hope so.”

“I just can’t help but think of him, out there all alone. He doesn’t have his parents. He doesn’t have us. He doesn’t have anyone. He must be so lonely.”

Mulder moved his face even closer to hers, until they were nose to nose. “I know what you’re feeling, Scully. I feel the same way. It makes this case even harder.”

“I mean, what are they going to do when we catch this kid? Lock him up? Put him in a cage? Pick him apart for the rest of his life? He didn’t ask for any of this. Neither did William.”

“You’re right. But he _is_ dangerous, Scully. He’s a danger to innocent people, even if he doesn’t mean to be. And our job is to keep people safe from any threats. That’s _our_ job, yours and mine. Not to make those kinds of decisions.”

“What if it were William, Mulder?”

He didn’t know what to say. It was a question he didn’t want to answer. The truth was, their son was also dangerous and they both knew it. Mulder didn’t know exactly how dangerous, but it may as well have been his own son he’d gone chasing after tonight.

Maybe that was the real reason he’d let him go. The thought troubled him.

“Do you think we’re too close to this case, Scully? Should we ask to get let off?”

She shook her head. “I don’t know.”

She wasn’t crying, and that was good. But he knew there was more she wanted to say. After they had wrapped their case in Connecticut with the deaths of those two small children and she had let out all her fears and bottled up emotions, finally opening herself up to him again about William, she had reached a breakthrough of some kind. She was starting to let William go the way Mulder knew she needed to, the way they both needed to. He didn’t want to hear her cry anymore.

He couldn’t help but think of all those years ago, when he might have let it slide, not ask her what was wrong, and hope for the best. That was something he refused to let happen anymore.

“Hey. I can feel you thinking.”

“I just wish I knew the answer, Mulder. There really is no right answer. There’s no way out for this kid. There’s no way out for William. I can’t find the answer.”

He sighed. “I think there’s an answer, it’s just one neither of us want to hear.”

“An answer I’d like to hear is preferable, at the moment.”

“I know. I wish it worked that way.” He really did. He wished Samantha hadn’t turned up dead after all his years of searching. He wished Scully hadn’t been robbed of her only wish, to be a mother. He wished lots of things could be different. He was continuing to learn, as he’d always known, life was mostly going to throw bad shit at them and they needed to look for happiness the only place they could: in each other.

“I love you,” she said, as if she’d read his mind, and it was enough. Right now, in this moment, it was enough. He kissed her, the satisfaction once again breaking through an impossible wall of sadness.

“Me too.”

She sighed and closed her eyes. “Just hold me, Mulder.”

It hadn’t occurred to him to do otherwise. He knew it never would. So he held her close and they both drifted off to sleep.

 


	10. Chapter Ten

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "There was no physical evidence connecting Dylan to the crime. Short of a confession, it was highly unlikely he’d be prosecuted. But Mulder knew he couldn’t let him go. He was dangerous, and unless he learned to control this power it could happen again and again."

 

 

 

 

 

In the morning, they agreed they were both too close to the case to adequately close it. After a call in to Skinner, they’d turned it back over to the police department.

Chief Harrison had endured Mulder’s theory with remarkable aplomb, and while he didn’t buy into it entirely, the presence of the suspect at the scene of Scully’s “attack” had been corroborated by Officer Parker and was too coincidental to ignore or deny. An APB was sent out to bring the young man in yet again, and Mulder was confident they’d find him.

After finalizing everything they needed, they headed to the airport, ready to go home.

Mulder shifted in his chair a bit as they sat at a cafe inside the terminal, waiting for their flight. He sipped his coffee as she perused news updates on her phone. He was a bit frustrated and he knew she could tell.

Scully set her phone down and took his hand. “We did everything we could, Mulder.”

“Yeah, I know you’re right. I just hate leaving things unfinished.”

“No one else would have followed up on that kid. And you know, you saved my life because you figured it out. _Again_ ,” she added, rolling her eyes a bit and smiling. “No one does this job quite like you. It’s how you’re able to see the things you see. And how you can make me see them, too.”

He squeezed her hand back. “I have had an effect on you over the years, haven’t I?”

“You have. In more ways than one.”

“I consider it my highest achievement. And it’s definitely been a long time coming.”

They sat for a minute, watching the world go by. He thought of the hundreds of people bustling past them, headed all over the world, spiraling out of the airport and into oblivion. He wondered how many more of these flights they’d take.

“I think about how you were back then, a lot, Scully. More than you probably realize. How much you’ve changed over the years. I don’t mean in a bad way, I just mean… how open you’ve become to things you’d have dismissed so easily all those years ago.”

“It hasn’t been entirely fair, has it?” she asked. “We kind of throw ourselves in the path of this stuff.”

“True, but you’ve certainly been resistant.”

Who, me?” she asked coyly. “I just enjoy getting a rise out of you.”

“And I’m grateful for that, Scully.”

“Ha.”

“But it would be remiss of me not to point out that you had an effect on me too. A huge one.”

“I think when we’re together, we’re the best versions of ourselves,” she said. “I believed it always, even when we were apart. I truly did.”

They smiled at each other, his hand covering hers. Just then Mulder’s cell phone started to ring.

“Mulder,” he answered.

_“Agent Mulder? This is... Dylan Thomas.”_

Mulder looked up at Scully in alarm.

“Where are you, Dylan? You okay?”

_“I was wondering if you meant what you said about wanting to help me.”_

“Of course I meant it.”

_“What is it, exactly, you can do for me?”_

“I’m not sure, Dylan, but we can find an answer together. I know we can.”

Scully tilted her head a bit, listening. He couldn't help but think of their conversation just last night about their complete and utter lack of solutions to this very problem.

“Where are you?”

_“I’m here at the airport. I can see you and Agent Scully.”_

Mulder scanned his surroundings but saw nothing. _He’s here,_ he told Scully silently. She picked up her own phone and began quietly calling for backup.

“I’m looking for you, but I can’t see you.”

_“Will you protect me, Agent Mulder? I don’t want to go to jail.”_

“I promise I’ll do everything in my power to protect you, Dylan.” He stood up to get a better view. “Tell me where you are.”

_“I didn’t know I could do… what I did. I never knew it could go that far. I don’t want to hurt anyone.”_

“I know, I know you don’t.”

_“I only noticed recently, this… buzzing in my head. It happened whenever I was feeling sad. I don't know why it happens.”_

“Something was done to you, long before you could possibly have been aware of it. I want to help find the people who did this to you. I want to stop them. That’s my job.”

_“No one will believe me. I just want this all to be over.”_

“I believe you, Dylan.”

Scully was looking around the terminal and suddenly tapped Mulder on the arm. She pointed to the other side of the security checkpoint, near a bathroom. There he was, standing next to a drinking fountain.

“Stay where you are,” Mulder told him.

Mulder started running towards him, through the security exit and past some check-in counters. Dylan saw him approaching and turned to run.

“Dylan, STOP!”

He stopped. Mulder knew he’d really only come here as a last resort. As every second passed he was less and less certain what the right course of action was. Dylan slowly turned and Mulder stopped about twenty feet from him.

“You don’t understand what this is like,” the boy cried.

“I do understand,” he replied. “I have a son. And he’s like you.”

Dylan stopped and looked at him, as if he was really seeing him for the first time. “He’s… like me?”

Mulder nodded. “He needs help. And so do you.”

Dylan just stared at him, not knowing what to believe.

“I want to help you, Dylan. I just want people to stop getting hurt. And I want you to have a normal life.”

“How can I have a normal life?” he asked. The poor kid looked so desperate. “How can that possibly happen?”

Mulder didn’t know what to say to him. He wanted that for him, too. He wanted it for all these kids. He wanted it for his own son. He wish he knew how to give that to him.

“I don’t know, Dylan,” he answered honestly. “But I want to help you. You’ve got to let me try.”

Dylan was silent.

“I know you aren’t a murderer,” Mulder said. “I know you never meant to hurt anyone. But you did, and the law is going to make sure there are consequences for that. I can get you the help you need, rather than you ending up in prison, or worse, dead.”

Dylan scoffed. “And these are my only options?”

Mulder looked at him sadly. “We don’t always have the best options, Dylan. All we have in life is the hand we’re dealt.”

He thought instantly of the hand he’d been dealt, the hand Scully had subsequently been dealt, and every little thing that happened in between. How they’d played those hands. How sometimes they’d won, and sometimes they’d lost.

Mostly, he thought of William.

He didn’t know how this kid’s game would turn out. He didn’t know how William’s would, either.

Scully was approaching slowly, he could sense her behind him.

“Please, Dylan, let us help you,” he offered.

Mulder noticed police officers approaching behind Dylan. They had him in their sights and everything was happening so fast. He couldn’t guarantee Dylan a particular outcome. He couldn’t guarantee anything. Scully was right, there was no answer here. He didn’t know what to do.

There was no physical evidence connecting Dylan to the crime. Short of a confession, it was highly unlikely he’d be prosecuted. But Mulder knew he couldn’t let him go. He was dangerous, and unless he learned to control this power it could happen again and again.

He thought of what he’d said to Scully last night. It was their job to keep people safe, safe from killers, monsters, even the monsters with pathos. What he’d seen this kid do to people he never wanted to see occur again. He had to make a choice, and in his heart he knew there was only one right one.

“Coming with me is your best option, Dylan. I can promise you that. Please take it.”

Dylan closed his eyes in acceptance, resignation. He dropped to his knees. Mulder approached, indicating to the other officers to withdraw. He crouched down and looked him in the eye. “I believe you can beat this, Dylan. Maybe somehow you can learn to control it.”

The kid looked defeated and scared. Mulder could only wish that somewhere deep down inside him there was an ounce of hope.

He helped him back to his feet and led him out of the terminal, Scully right behind him. At the curb Chief Harrison waited.

“Call his parents. He’s to be taken to a psychiatric facility and kept at least thirty feet from the other patients. I’ll be in touch regarding his treatment.”

Harrison nodded and helped him into the back of the patrol car. As he rounded the back of the car, Mulder grabbed his arm.

“He’s not a killer. He needs help. See to it, Chief.”

Harrison looked at Mulder and he knew the chief would do right by Dylan, as right as he possibly could. Scully came up behind him and took his elbow.

“They’ve got this under control, Mulder. There’s nothing more we can do here now.”

They watched as the patrol car pulled away and then headed back into the airport.

 

***

 

Mulder watched the New York skyline disappear behind them as the loud hum of the plane dulled his senses. His mind was overloaded and he just wanted to quiet it. But thoughts of what had happened still fought for space in his brain. The same must have been true for Scully.

“Do you think they’ll try to prosecute?” she asked quietly.

“Well, I’ve said it before: one of the luxuries of hunting genetic mutants is that you can rarely press charges.”

She sighed and sat back into her seat. “What do you think will happen to him?”

He shook his head. “I don’t know. I wish I did.”

“All I can think of is how the same thing is going to happen to William someday. I know it.”

He turned to look at her. “We don’t know that, Scully. We do not.”

“We may never know.”

He thought a moment. “If those are the only two options, which choice is the better one?”

She thought for a second. “Not knowing is better. At least without certainty there can be hope.”

He smiled at her. “That’s an answer I can live with, can you?”

She took his hand. “Yeah. I can.”

He leaned over and kissed her forehead. “One thing I do know is this case might have put me over the edge. Knowing there are more of these kids out there, I don’t know. It’s making me more certain than ever I’m ready to stop. I don’t know if I could handle another one of these.”

“No one would blame you, Mulder. Certainly not me.”

“I think… I just need to rest my mind. Think about something else for awhile.”

He leaned forward and pulled his phone and some earbuds out of his carry-on. He offered her an earbud and she took it. He searched on his phone for something to listen to.

“How about Prince?” he asked, his eyebrows going up. “ _Controversy?_ ”

“Really, Mulder? Not here, come on.”

He chuckled, remembering the last time they’d heard that song, fogging up the windows of the Explorer just before a sushi date. She was right, probably not the best idea right now.

“Uh… Queen?”

“Perfect.”

He pressed play and settled back into his seat. After a few seconds she removed his earbud and whispered into his ear.

“I promise we can listen to _Controversy_ as soon as we get home.”

“And do a little mind blowing of our own?” he winked and took her hand.

“You’ve always blown my mind, Mulder.” She grinned at him and settled back into her seat contentedly.

They listened to the song for a bit, and then Mulder spoke. “This song always makes me think of you,” he admitted.

“Oh yeah?”

“Well, lots of songs make me think of you. But this one in particular.”

They listened to the words.

 

_Oh, you’re the best friend that I ever had_

_I’ve been with you such a long time_

_You’re my sunshine and I want you to know_

_My feelings are true, I really love you_

_You’re my best friend_

 

She nodded. “It’s a good one.”

He squeezed her hand and she laid her head against his shoulder, closing her eyes. As they left New York City behind them, his thoughts finally drifted where he wanted them to go; only to her, and the satisfaction once again drifted closer and closer.

They’d get there, and soon. He knew it.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading, I hope you enjoyed it! As always feedback is appreciated! :)


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